On September 10, Mr. Wang Haiyang, table tennis instructor from the Department of Physical Education and head coach of the University Table Tennis Team, successfully completed the “Emergency Sports Cooperation and Technical Assistance Project for Madagascar” initiated by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and the General Administration of Sport of China. He returned home with honors after guiding the Madagascar National Table Tennis Team to achieve a historic best record of three gold medals and one silver medal at the 11th Indian Ocean Island Games.
Approved by the State Council, “the 2023 China Sports Technical Assistance Project for Madagascar” was launched by the General Administration of Sport of China and undertaken by the Hunan Provincial Sports Bureau. Recommended by the Hunan Table Tennis Association and selected by the Hunan Provincial Sports Bureau, Wang was enlisted as a table tennis coach of the Chinese expert team in early July 2023. He traveled to Madagascar to support the national team’s preparation for the 11th Indian Ocean Island Games held in August 2023, providing intensive pre-competition training and on-site competition guidance to help the team boost its performance in international comprehensive and individual sports events.
Bearing the mission and expectations of the country, Wang dedicated himself rigorously and diligently to his two-month coaching work in Madagascar. He meticulously identified the technical shortcomings of local players and formulated targeted training plans for improvement. With his superb professional techniques and scientific, efficient training methods, the table tennis team of Madagascar made rapid progress and their competitive level significantly improved.
All his diligent efforts paid off. In the table tennis competitions of the 11th Indian Ocean Island Games, the Madagascar National Table Tennis Team claimed three gold medals in men’s team, men’s singles and men’s doubles, one silver medal in mixed doubles, two fourth places in women’s team and mixed doubles, as well as two fifth places in men’s doubles and women’s doubles, marking the best performance in the history of Madagascar’s table tennis sport.
Wang Haiyang lived up to expectations with his dedicated coaching, spreading the spirit of Chiense table tennis culture and showcasing the excellence of China's national sport, earning a strong reputation.
Ohély, President of the Fédération Malgache de Tennis de Table, spoke highly of his contributions: “We are deeply grateful for Coach Wang Haiyang’s meticulous guidance, which has greatly elevated our athletes’ competitive strength. Without his professional assistance, we could hardly have secured any gold medals.”
Lieutenant General Joushua Rakotoarivelo, Minister of National Defense of Madagascar, Hajo Herivelona Andrianainarivelona, Minister of Public Works of Madagascar, and Sophie Ratsiraka, Minister of Handicrafts, visited the training and competition venues on multiple occasions to communicate with Wang, extending sincere gratitude for China’s valuable assistance and his devoted efforts. Guo Xiaomei, Chinese Ambassador to Madagascar, and the Malagasy Minister of Youth and Sports also repeatedly affirmed the outstanding contributions of the Chinese expert team.
